War on the Frontier : The Trans - Mississippi West
Time-Life Books
Language: English
Pages: 184
ISBN: B002L4KBEI
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
Time-Life Civil War Series 23 of 27
In this volume of the Civil War series we look at the battles in the West, a largely forgotten theater of the Civil War. The territories of New Mexico, Arizona, Kansas, the Indian Territories, Colorado and Dakota, as well as the states of Minnesota, Missouri, Arkansas and Louisiana. While neither side would provide anything close to the numbers of troops seen in the East there would be a long march up and down the Rio Grande in New Mexico, Guerilla raids on both sides of the Kansas-Missouri, Indian fighting in the Dakotas and a campaign up the Red River.
command, ceiving this blunt tantly General as general in expedition, but he did not want committed Yet there was Steele reluc- a major flaw in the Federal removed from scheme. Banks and Steele, far each other, would find impossible to co- it tucky in 1862, quickly began deploying what defensive forces he possessed. The troops al- ready in Louisiana under Richard Taylor which included Walker's Texans and rate brigade of Texas infantry led French enthusiast for the named
The at peace rising ten- white "scouting parties that are roaming sion who do not know one tribe from another and who kill anything in the tions, shape of an Indian." drunken commander at Fort Larned who fired on a peaceful band of Southern Arapahos led by Left Hand, a long-time friend of the whites who had labored hard to avoid war. Another was provoked by Brigadier over the country, War with the Indians was closer, however, McKenny knew. Several days before he than reported to
Baylor's Texans had ar- most of July 25, he rived at El Paso and appeared ready to ride Mesilla. After a brief exchange of fire up the Rio Grande into New Mexico. Canby companies sallied forth in the late with several afternoon and made a halfhearted attempt to drive the Texans from three Federals were killed and six — wound19 Frustration in — darkness ed New Mexico fell, and Lynde withdrew to Mexico. Union troops who had been march- ing toward Fort Fillmore from Forts
(standing second from right), who was a few feet away when McCulloch was killed, and Lieutenant Lindsay this Lomax (seated, near right) became generals themselves. 3 145 A Clash of Uneasy Alliances days the bone-weary men trudged through he had abandoned the Territory as well, the Boston Mountains in pouring rain. breaking the Confederacy's "Hunger added the tribes there. its terrors to the misery of the march," a Missouri officer recalled. still, Van Dorn, The charges were
Rifles men from cut their supply line to the north. east for the Confederates at Fort Craig with 3,810 men. Only 900 of them were Regulars leave Fort Craig's de- fenders isolated in their remote bastion and son's secessionist inhabitants. 2,515 effectives The stratagem would a mile of the Canby refused to be remain at the into battle, preferring to and await attack. rain artil- from placing their guns. For a time the two small armies watched each other as lerists they ly,